Thyroid and Gall Bladder

[Meebeesoo]

Hello to all I am struggling with ongoing underactive thyroid with my latest TSH being at 10.7 and that was even with me taking 75mg of levothyroxine daily. The docs have increased the dose to 100mg daily however I have only been taking this new amount for a week so not sure how long it takes to get into my system ? I have also read online that not having a gall bladder can be an issue for someone with thyroid problems and wondered if this is true, and could this make the struggle even harder? I had to have my gall bladder out several years ago as I had grown a rather impressive stone the size of a large olive and boy was I pleased to get rid of that!!

So if anyone has any knowledge of issues with lack of gall bladder that would be great as I wonder if I should be taking extra vitamins to help balance my wonderful digestion system etc

[jimh111]

I had my gallbladder removed and it doesn't seem to affect my thyroid condition. The gallbladder stores bile and releases it to help digest a fatty meal. Without the gallbladder or with a non-functioning gallbladder (very common) the bile tends to be released throughout the day with lower concentrations at mealtimes. This has an effect on absorption of fats but I don't think it matters much as we tend not to eat the high fat meals are ancestors did.

Theoretically it might affect thyroid hormone levels as thyroid hormone is lipophillic (attaches to fat) and is recycled from the liver / bile back into the gut - 'enterohepatic recirculation'. I don't know but I strongly suspect the absense of a functioning gallbladder makes little to no difference. If it did and you are taking thyroid hormone it would show up in the blood tests and you would simply take a tiny bit more to compensate.

Hypothyroidism increases cholesterol levels and causes biliary stasis which can lead to biliary disease and gallstones. People who are hypothyroid for some time and not treated will be more likely to have gallbladder disease. I'm not aware of any research that shows not having a functioning gallbladder affects thyroid metabolism to any extent. There are speculative articles on the internet but they do not cite any evidence, at least not the ones I have seen. They seem to be written by people looking for something to write or selling something.

You seem to be undertreated and I suspect you will need another increase to 125 mcg. I don't think having your galllbladder removed will have any effect other than drastically reducing your chances of having futher gallstones.

[Nanaedake]

It takes 6 to 8 weeks for a change of dose to influence all the cells in your body. Retest in 6 to 8 weeks time and adjust again if necessary. Have you got thyroid antibodies?

[Hidden]

I had my gallbladder out 40+ years ago and was finally diagnosed with an under active thyroid 10 years ago. I take 125 meg a day but still have pins and needles in my feet, so supplement with B12.

Di

[LuckyKat]

Hi, I'd suggest digestive enzymes and Ox bile tablets - both recommended when you don't have a gall bladder.

[Hidden]

I have no thyroid or gallbladder. When I had my gallbladder out in 2006 it was full of calcium stones nobody bothered to tell me to check my vitamin D levels.

I always look after my liver now drinking very little wine each week and no iced drinks.

I also take milk thistle.

I had never been overweight and am still the same as 30 years ago.

Since upping my Vitamin D levels I have had no sinus problems which started at 8 years old and carried on for over 60 years.

With the help from the people on this site I am now well and self medicate with NDT.

I will never be the same as before the operations but if I had my time again knowing what I know now I would have checked all my vitamins and minerals first.